The Wolf and The Slayer
by Minako Miharu
Summary: A promise denied and a past forgotten, two unlikely people begin to fall in love ... A series of oneshots and drabbles featuring Ayame and Kohaku, inspired by Vexatively. Rated M for possible future events.
1. The Wolf and The Slayer

Title: The Wolf and The Slayer

Author: Minako (minakiwi)

Theme: Better

Genre: Romance / Action

Word Count: 250

Pairing: Ayame, Kohaku

Warnings: None really

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, Rumiko Takahashi does. I am merely making them dance to my tune.

AN: This is for vexatively, for encouraging my random strange pairing impulses.

She could remember the first time she met him. Her breath came harsh in her chest, burning in her throat. She would not cry, but she should've known better than to think that his promise had been anything more than words to comfort a scared cub; especially now that she had seen the truth. No one would look at another the way Kouga did Kagome if they didn't love them, there was no room in his heart for anyone else.

She was so upset that her senses failed to catch her attention despite the sudden rush of adrenaline as she became aware that she wasn't alone. Her heart thudded painfully in the roil of surprise and she found herself in a battle-ready crouch, her large green eyes focused on the youth before her. Her pulse raced as she took in his uniform, the slim male was dressed as a taijiya and if it were true she was very possibly breathing her last.

His eyes though, above that poison blocking mask were warm and held kindness. He hadn't taken his weapon from where it coiled gleaming at his hip, he simply stood there admiring her. As if deciding something one hand raised up and she tensed, but he simply removed the mask and smiled at her.

"My name's Kohaku."

She blushed suddenly, her own hands smoothing her white fur as she stood up and relaxed a little, her earlier hurt somehow was somehow made better by his voice.

"I'm Ayame."


	2. Red Silk

Title: Red Silk

Author: Minako (minakiwi)

Theme: Hair

Genre: Romance / Action

Word Count: 250

Character/s: Kohaku / Ayame

Rating: G

Warnings: None really

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, Rumiko Takahashi does. I am merely making them dance to my tune.

AN: Here you go vex, I hope you realize what you've started here ... :gringrin:

He could remember the first time he had seen her, which in and of itself was remarkable. Naraku made him forget things, he knew this. It was simply how things were. He would forget from time to time and then Naraku would need him and tell him his name and purpose once more.

There was a single face he could not forget at first – now, there was another. He had been returning from his latest mission reeking of fire and blood when something told him to stop, to listen. So he had, and there had been the girl. He knew on an instinctive level she was youkai, just as he knew she was sad. So rather than draw his weapon, he watched.

She noticed him, turning gracefully into a combat crouch, and the sun broke through the leaves to dapple her red hair and make it glow the way fine silk does. Red silk, caught up in ponytails that made her look vulnerable and made him want to be kind. He told her his name, she told him hers.

Ayame. Even though his expression was still as he made his report to his Master, inwardly there was a song, and that song was comprised of her name, the image of her red hair, the color of her green eyes, and the way the wind smelled after it ruffled the white furs she wore. When Naraku took him away from himself this time – the song remained. Ayame, that was her name.


	3. Not A Lunar Rainbow

Title: Not a Lunar Rainbow

Author: Minako (minakiwi)

Theme: Water Theme

Genre: Romance / Action

Word Count: 250

Pairing: Kohaku / Ayame

Warnings: None really.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

AN: This is another bit for the "The Wolf and The Slayer" series.

It wasn't a Lunar Rainbow, but she'd remember this one far more fondly. The Lunar Rainbow had brought her only heartbreak; this one had brought her something cherished. It had been a few months since the last time she'd gotten to see Kohaku and her mind was trying to trick her into thinking he had abandoned her. She'd made a point to patrol the areas she had seen Kohaku in, and her heart told her that was the way to go. Her heart had been right, thankfully.

She'd been kneeling to cup cool water in her hands, the waterfall masking the sounds of the forest. Ayame had been wary, but he'd still managed to appear without her sensing him. One moment she was about to sip the water, the next his hand had wrapped around her wrist and pulled her upright. He'd shook his head and handed her a canteen to drink from. Her green eyes had been round with surprise, her heart trip-hammering, but his scent had been there to soothe her.

While she drank, she saw the rainbow behind his head, sunlight through the spray of the waterfall, and it made her smile. Then he'd leaned forward, lips brushing hers, tasting the water that glistened there. Her first kiss! Then his voice whispered in her ear.

"That water isn't safe Ayame. Keep mine."

Just as quickly he'd vanished again, leaving her to realize that he'd given her not just her first kiss, but saved her as well.


	4. That Glance to Melt

Title: That Glance to Melt

Author: Minako (minakiwi)

Theme: Shy

Character/s: Kohaku / Ayame

Warning / Rating: G, no warnings

Genre: Romance

Word Count: 250

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rumiko I'm just borrowing them.

She knew he was near and for some reason that made her feel shy and giddy all at the same time. Despite her youthful impatience to see him she had for him learned how to be patient, how to savor what moments they had, and for him she had done this, matured.

But when he appeared before her out of the mist she gave him the shy glance and she saw his dark eyes widen, and knew that she had finally lodged herself firmly in his heart. She had melted his resolves with her devotion, and he melted her shyness with his love.

He knew she was near and it made him remember himself, but not in agony or tragedy. That red silk of her hair was a beacon for his heart; when he revealed himself he saw her feelings in her green eyes, filling that shy glance with the love that he would use to protect this sliver of his soul.

His steady hands shook when he caressed her face, to tip it just so for his kiss. If he lived from this moment on it would be for her, and for his Ayame he would somehow find a way to break free of Naraku's hold. The taste of her on his lips, this he exalted in, this he would crave in those small moments that he dared think of her. It was his vow, to someday make her his wife and he prayed he would live so long.


	5. There for Her

Title: There for Her

Author: Minako (minakiwi)

Theme: Non Canon Pairings

Character/s: Kohaku / Ayame

Warning / Rating: K+ just in case, for the combat/slayings.

Genre: Romance / Angst / Action

Word Count: 1289

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rumiko I'm just borrowing them.

AN: This is a continuation of my The Wolf and the Slayer series.

Kohaku was not a youkai, and no matter how strong he was and how ingrained his training was, he would never be more than a human taijiya. Looking out over the carnage before him though, he knew that sometimes it was enough to be just what he was, no less, no more. There was no twinge of guilt in his heart for the varied dead with their rapidly cooling corpses, they had pursued him for the shard of the Sacred Jewel which gave him the semblance of his life back. They received then the fruits of their labor and he felt no more remorse in their passing than he would at crushing the life out of a poisonous insect.

He was no youkai, but with that shard in his back he had noted that certain things about him were changing. Some of these changes had proven beneficial to him – he had sensed these lower level youkai long before they had actually burst through the brush to try and kill him for example. All of his senses were heightened, and he took full advantage of them all while he was on his varied missions for Naraku. Others were not to his benefit – even if he had been the one to ask for them in the first place. Ask being too light a term, he knew that his younger self had not asked, he had begged for the memories to go away.

Even now he was not certain that he was ready to remember what had happened, despite his last conversation with Sango. Now was one of the times he knew who she was, she was his once-beloved sister that he had looked up to so much. She represented all that he wanted to be, she was calm and composed, lethal and elegant, but most of all she was confident that what she was doing was the right thing. Imagine his surprise when she had admitted to him on the day of his very first true youkai hunt that she herself had been nervous her first time out! It had made him feel so much better, made him feel that he had the potential within himself to be just like her.

Even now he did not understand how things had went so terribly wrong that all of them had died. Those memories were still blessedly shrouded, though he knew at some level a spider had been involved. Kohaku was never, ever more vicious than when he slew spider youkai of any stripe, and he had found himself at times watching Naraku's back and wondering when his turn would inevitably come, for despite that Naraku owned his soul Kohaku would at one point want it back. That it would entail the death of the spider-scarred fiend was simply a decoration to the event, nothing beyond that. He had no real loyalty to Naraku, but he was bound to him nonetheless. The shard that gave him life ensured that.

He reached the spot his orders had led him to, and suddenly realized something. Perhaps Naraku knew of his sometimes traitorous thoughts, and sought to test him. He had been told that there were creatures that were opposing his plans in this forest and that they would need to be killed. Yet the sense that came to Kohaku was one that was familiar to him, and his fists balled up in their taijiya gloves. No! Rage flowed into him then, red hot and burning in his veins as his lips curled into a vicious snarl behind his poison-mask and he whirled with deadly intent. His heart had sworn to protect her, and Naraku was pointing him at her like an arrow to slay instead. He would not have it, had not considered this to be the day that he would break free of his Master, but he would die before he would be the hand to slay the girl he loved.

He had taken steps forward, mind set on rushing to either his own doom or Naraku's when he heard her voice lifted in a cry of anger and frustration. His heart almost stopped in his chest at the sound. How could he have been so stupid? Of course Naraku would have him followed were he testing him and now would take care of the target himself! His revenge on the spider would wait until he saw for himself she was all right. He launched himself towards where he heard her cries, bursting through the foliage into a scene of nightmare. Dark suited figures were circling his Ayame, her white furs streaked with dirt and crimson, signs of struggle evident on her white limbs and face.

If he lived to one hundred he would never forget the look in her green eyes when she chanced to look at who was coming up on her unprotected flank and saw that it was him. There was relief of course, and pain, but the hope – the sheer hope and love that flooded those eyes would have given him the strength to defeat an army. He pushed her behind him with a deep growl that would have done a Yourouzoku proud and found his weapon was already in his hands. He began a slow lazy whirling of the sickle blade of his kau-sin-ke on its gleaming chain, the sunlight blinding as it winked and sparkled on the sharpened youkai bone that was stronger than steel. His eyes were like chips of Winter, so icy and focused on the men that he seemed more youkai than man, sharper than the point of his killing instrument.

His voice however was low and steady, almost as if he did not still feel the crest of his rage. That rage had turned from Naraku to these men that tried to act as demon-slayers, they had no right to do what they did in form or function.

"Leave her now, or die."

For an instant Kohaku thought that they might do as he so confidently ordered, and one did turn and flee as if he recognized what they were facing was no ordinary mortal. The others though were not so intuitive and rushed them en mass. He felt rather than saw Ayame gather her youki and her magic and then they were fighting together. The bright natural tang of her magic filled his soul as her leaves and flowers flowed past him to engulf the leader, but the sweet clean wholesomeness was washed away with the coppery smell of blood soon enough. It was over in an instant it seemed, as if time had slowed while he slew them and resumed again in a rush once their bodies began to fall. There was no mercy in what he did, or remorse, simply efficiency in defending the one thing in his life that gave him the strength to move forward despite the agony of living.

Then she was there in his arms and sobbing, and while he did not relax his guard in case the runner had gone for help or Naraku's hell-wasps came to spy he allowed his arms to tighten on her lithe form and he used her shoulder to slide his mask free so he could press gentle reassuring kisses to her cheeks and lips. He had been so close to losing her that he knew in the dark moments later on panic would fill him, making him live the terror that a life without Ayame would mean to him. But for now he held her, comforted her, and loved her. He would deal with any consequences later, content because she was safe and that he had been there when she needed him most.


	6. Frozen Dreams Haunting Perfume of Hope

Frosted Dreams

Naraku of course had no care for his tools, as long as they were there to serve him when he required that is. How wroth he was, to realize that he was missing the exact tool he wanted! It was partially his own fault, he had not in point of fact given Kohaku any direct orders as to what to do once he had successfully completed his latest task. It was still quite _vexing_ to discover and poor Kagura had taken the brunt of his rage yet one more time. He cocked his dark-haired head just so and closed his eyes in near sensual fashion to better focus on the soft huffing breaths and moans of pain coming from the chained Kaze Youkai far below, the chiming of her chains like beautiful music to him. Well, at least one of his pawns pleased him, albeit with great reluctance on her part.

He shook away the bonds of pleasure that were wont to leave him lethargic, and he concentrated the dark might of his will upon his target.  
_Kohaku, come to me._

There, it was done and soon he was sure that the young living dead Taijiya would be gracing him with his presence and ready to take his orders. Even though he was the cause of it, even Naraku had to admit that there was something rather unsettling about the blank way those cinnamon eyes could look at you without being focused on the here and now. It was almost as if the boy's eyes were looking forward, to the future or into the depths of the soul of any unfortunate enough to stand in front of him. Naraku gave a somewhat elegant snort at this. Any future, any dreams that this boy had had were now frozen, they were dead, just as he was. That he moved at all was thanks to Naraku, and he would make sure that after Kohaku had done as he ordered that he would be reminded of just who the master here was, just as Kagura had in her turn.

Miles away at a lonely campfire the young man in question looked up at hearing the hated spider's voice in his brain, and for a moment contemplated just ignoring it despite the way that he now felt the urgent tug on the Shikon Shard which kept him alive, like fishing hooks in his brain and soul. With a sigh he put away the flower he had been contemplating, slipping it into his armor to rest over his heart. The flower never faded, never lost its freshness or its perfume, and it had come from his Ayame. It gave him hope when he had to pretend he had nothing, that if he but waited, figured out how to break the hold of the spider, that he would find Spring after Winter, that his dreams of a future with Ayame as his bride would come true.

He rose then with lethal grace, kicking out the campfire before turning to heed the call.

The Haunting Perfume of Hope

Inwardly Kohaku seethed, and while his face was an impassive mask with cold blank cinnamon eyes gazing forward to a point over his hated master's shoulder his fingers had a fine trembling in them. They trembled because he was having to restrain himself with all his might, because no matter how much he wanted to kill Naraku the spider seemed off somehow, as if he were wary in the presence of his second most used pawn. He listened half-heartedly to the orders Naraku issued, his innate senses telling him something was wrong but not telling him what was wrong. So trained in his responses, so hyperactively aware was he that despite his dull outward gaze when Naraku attacked him he moved fluidly aside, his weapon up to deflect the tentacle that had shot towards his heart.

He knew then what was wrong, this was a kugutsu – a demon puppet, not the Master himself. But Kohaku did not attack him back, he simply deflected each attack with grace and ease, wasting no motions nor showing his true demeanor. Inwardly he was enraged, but outwardly he was placid and eerily calm. Eventually though his deflections let one of the tentacles peirce its own body and the hair wrapped around the inner wooden spindle was severed, the mass of the demon dissapating in a cloud of miasma as the robe that it had worn spilled to the floor, white babboon fur over a silken inner kosode tangled there on the cold stones. Behind it lay a door revealed, and Kohaku yeilded to the pull that came from that darkened space. Apparently this had been a test, and Naraku lay beyond.

He wondered as he made his progression if he had passed or failed this particular test, and why Naraku bothered to even do it. He "knew" that Naraku looked down on him as mindless, clear of thoughts of his own and the perfect tool because of it. So why did he choose to constantly test him in this fashion? Was it to see if Kohaku was as blank as he seemed? No matter the reason, Kohaku had found himself growing increasingly tired of taking Naraku's orders no matter that he may or may not be ready to know the whole of his supressed memories. Some had already come back, and even when Naraku 'wiped the slate clean' as he sometimes did, they came back quicker each time. As Kohaku accepted them, dealt with them one at a time, he knew that no matter how terrible they might be that he would be able to get through it. He had to, if for no other reason than his love for Ayame.

Ayame – he took a deep breath and somehow even with his mask on he could smell the perfume of the flower she had given him. It was Spring in Winter, the haunting perfume of hope. He should let her go, he knew it deep down. She was what kept him going but what could he truly offer her but his heart? He was still entangled in Naraku's schemes, and honestly should not be alive. But he had noticed something, unlike other undead he had encountered powered by a shard of the Shikon Jewel or not Kohaku was no longer frozen in time. He had grown nearly an inch in the last few months, felt himself getting stronger. He was becoming a man though he should never have, maturing rapidly now that he had noticed. Part of him wondered when this would be noticed and if Naraku even realized what was going on.

He was so focused after all in his obsession with Kikyou and the Jewel, focused on possessing and ruining them both. That narrow minded obsession would end up costing him, no matter how grandeous his schemes were they were flawed because while he saw more than most he was ignorant of things that were unfolding right under his nose. Kohaku, becoming a man. Kagura, seeking aid of Sesshoumaru of all beings. Kanna who seemed to be a perfect mirror of what Naraku wanted in a slave, yet Kohaku had seen in her blank eyes more than once the same sort of spark that he himself held to tightly. What was it that the mirror reflected, the Void youkai was not forthcoming on that, and Kohaku didn't blame her. If Naraku truly realized what each of them were doing, he would kill them out of hand.

He carefully blanked his mind then, as he made his way down to receive his current orders. It turned out that this time he was to travel with Kagura and do some sort of esoteric nonsense, something he could have had a low level oni take care of. But Naraku wanted them to think that he did things for his own grand scheme, though they knew better. The spider for all his machinations was currently blundering about on his web, unable to defeat a simple hanyou and his traveling companions. If not for his dual obsessions the cruel mind that was after all brilliant would have made shreds of them already. Once he was sure that they were clear of Naraku's web, out of the hearing of his spies and that there were no Samiyosho buzzing around, Kohaku dropped his blank stare to look at Kagura. His voice was low, deepening now as he matured.

"He's close. No more than a mile or two from here. I'll take the urn and set it. Go ... scout."

Loving Ayame had given him courage, as well as love. He knew what it was like to pine for a mere glance of her, knew the hell Kagura was going through in not being able to sense Sesshoumaru. It was not pity that drove him to do as he had, but a commiseration. It was the least he could do for the Kaze youkai, she had taken punishment for him time after time and he would fight tooth and nail anyone that said she held no compassion despite that Naraku literally held her heart in his possession. But possessing was not the same as loving, and Kagura loved Sesshoumaru all the way to her soul, which Naraku could not touch.

He let Kagura search his gaze a moment, a flicker of warmth in her red eyes and she trusted him in that moment. She spun out her feather and floated away on the wind, going where he had indicated Sesshoumaru was. Once she was gone Kohaku took out Ayame's gift and closed his eyes, letting the perfume of the flower come over him as images of his red haired love danced behind his eyes. They would all come through this, Naraku would die and they would be free.

He refused to think otherwise.

AN: Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas for Vex!


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